Nicotine withdrawal and recovery symptoms are the roughest days for a quitting smoker. Experts claim that nicotine withdrawal symptoms occur immediately after 20-30 minutes after the last cigarette has been puffed. Nicotine recovery symptoms are experienced during the latter weeks or months when the smoker’s body tries to recover from the ill-effects of nicotine use.
Why do smokers suffer the nicotine withdrawal and recovery symptoms?
Nicotine withdrawal and recovery symptoms occur because of the addictive nature of nicotine contents in cigarettes. Nicotine is able to create psychoactive or trippy effects after a while. When this effect wears off, the body craves for more. So the body begins to gradually develop a resistance for nicotine thereby craving to equal that level of nicotine in the body. Disruption of the nicotine levels gives rise to nicotine withdrawal and recovery symptoms.
What are the nicotine withdrawal and recovery symptoms?
Experts are of the opinion that it is not necessary for all smokers to go through the nicotine withdrawal and recovery symptoms. The intensity of the symptoms may also vary from one smoker to the other depending upon the nicotine consumption.
Some immediate nicotine withdrawal symptoms reported of smokers within 30 minutes are listed here below:
- Mood swings
- Anxiousness
- Muscle contractions
- Breathing difficulties
- Reduced levels of concentration
Some of the following nicotine withdrawal or recovery symptoms occur during the next 4-5 hours and may continue for days, weeks or months:
- Coughing
- Constipation
- Sleeplessness
- Sore throat, tongue or gums
- Fatigue
- Depression
- Nausea
- Headaches
- Increased appetite
- Weight gain
- Drowsiness
- Diarrhea
These are the most common nicotine recovery symptoms suffered on quitting smoke. Though most smokers get rid of these symptoms within weeks, some may struggle with them for months. The patch or gum treatments are highly recommended for treating prolonged nicotine withdrawal and recovery symptoms.
